Avian Influenza in the U.S. Commercial Upland Game Bird Industry: An Analysis of Selected Practices as Potential Exposure Pathways and Surveillance System Data Reporting
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Avian diseases
Abstract
Producing a smaller yield of higher-value birds compared to conventional poultry production, the U.S.
commercial upland game bird industry deals primarily in the sale of live birds for recreational hunting. In this study, our aims were
to gain insights into the occurrence of avian influenza (AI) in the U.S. commercial upland game bird industry in comparison to
other poultry sectors, to identify the presence of the specific AI risk factors in the practices of raising ducks on site and having
connections to live bird markets (LBMs), and to assess how AI surveillance systems may have played a role in the reporting of the
presence of exposure pathway–related information. We found that 23 AI epizootics involving upland game bird premises were
reported, compared to 485 epizootics in the other poultry industries, and 86% of epizootics involving upland game birds were
limited to only one premises. Regarding specific AI risk factors, 70% of upland game bird epizootics involved one of the two
examined practices. In assessing the impact of surveillance systems, data framed around the implementation of surveillance systems
revealed that the introduction of active surveillance coincided with the more thorough reporting of both the raising of ducks on site
and premises having connections to LBMs. Our results suggest the need for more thorough data collection during epizootics and
the need to assess additional exposure pathways specific to the commercial raise-for-release upland game bird industry.
Description
Keywords
Avian influenza, Upland game birds, Surveillance, Exposure pathways
Citation
St. Charles, K. M., Ssematimba, A., Malladi, S., Bonney, P. J., Linskens, E., Culhane, M., ... & Cardona, C. J. (2018). Avian influenza in the US commercial upland game bird industry: an analysis of selected practices as potential exposure pathways and surveillance system data reporting. Avian diseases, 62(3), 307-315. https://doi.org/10.1637/11814-021518-Reg.1